Sheffield politicians' concern after America elects Donald Trump

Two local politicians have reacted with surprise and uncertainty to Donald Trump's election victory, and are waiting to see how a Trump presidency might affect the people of Sheffield in an inter-connected world.

Councillor Tony Damms, a former Lord Mayor of Sheffield, told The Star that he got up at 4 a.m. to listen to the US election results, expecting a “historic moment” – America’s first female President.

The veteran councillor for Southey was to be disappointed.

Coun Damms said: “I thought when people actually got the pencil in their hand, they would vote for Hillary Clinton.”

Clive Betts MP, speaking to The Star at Sheffield Town Hall, said of Mr Trump: “We don’t know how he’s going to react to international trade and whether he’s going to tear up agreements on climate change.”

Coun Damms suggested that the big “acid test” would be whether Trump built the wall along America’s border with Mexico.

He also expressed concern about Trump’s attitude towards NATO.

The long-serving Labour councillor, who once received 1,000 origami peace cranes from a survivor of the atomic bomb blast in Hiroshima, Japan – and has given many of these away to Sheffield people – expressed relief that Trump had reined in some of his rhetoric after winning the presidency.

Coun Damms added: “If he’s true to his rhetoric, I think we’re all in trouble.”